Posts Tagged old apparatus

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Now that they have produced a string of EPs and their first full-length, Compendium, it seems fitting to inquire a bit further into the arcane world of Old Apparatus. As a collective, they have worked hard to remove any traces of human presence, replacing it with striking imagery and rare media appearances constituting the stage for their manifesto. Their earlier images consisted of old Victorian portraits or mug-shots, the human heads removed and replaced by old and grotesque science equipment. It was during this time that OA released a self-titled 12” on the legendary dubstep producer Mala’s label, Deep Medi. It was a mesmeric debut, incorporating noise, industrial, and dubstep with a plethora of sounds and instruments. It created a big stir in the UK scene and was a perfect introduction to the limitless sounds of Old Apparatus.

After a second release on Deep Medi and a handful of remixes, including one for the Shangaan Electro album on Honest Jons, the group found a new home for their esoteric material in the formation of their own label, Sullen Tone. This move resulted in a highly fertile period for the group, with the release of a series of genre-hopping EPs in 2012-- each with its own, striking, occultish cover image. The first EP from the new label was attributed to the group, but the three that would follow were produced individually by the band members LTO, A Levitas, and Harem. It is the music from these four EPs that leads us to Compendium.

Enigmatic London collective Old Apparatus have been turning heads since they launched their imprint Sullen Tone earlier this year, which explores the corners of UK underground. Alfur is the second chapter of a 12" trilogy that the collective's been working on, each installment produced by a different member. In this case, A. Levitas takes the reigns on Alfur and pushes the unsettling and opaque signature of Old Apparatus in a slightly trippier direction, drawing a discernible line from early '90s Bristol to the cinematic soundscapes of early Amon Tobin and South London sounds of the 21st century. (No Fear Of Pop co-premiere)

Alfur is out digitally October 8th and on vinyl the 29th via Sullen Tone.